The Big 8 Heavyweights in Skin Care Ingredients

Smart spending on skin care products

If you’re going to spend your money on products that promise to improve your skin – or keep it looking good – then spend wisely. The following skin care ingredients are the ones with scientific backing. You’ll get the biggest bang for your buck – and better skin – with the following:

• Pantothenic acid increases hydration and softness of the skin and has a positive effect on skin prone to acne. Also boasts skin recovery properties – first discovered in the 1950’s for accelerating the healing of severe burns and wounds.

4. Vitamin C

• Topical Vitamin C, at levels of 10% and higher, stimulates collagen and elastin, knocks out free radicals (free radicals are nasty little buggers that break down collagen and give you wrinkles and rough skin!)

Best used at night as sunlight inactivates most Vitamin C; or applied with sun block on top if used in the daytime. Better effect when combined with Vitamin A.

5. Vitamin E

• The major oil-soluble antioxidant. In the form of DL-alpha-tocopherol, Vitamin E is almost magic in it’s ability to protect the skin’s immune system. Use with C and A for best effects.

6. Alpha-hydroxy acids

• AHAs provide a unique benefit by causing exfoliation. The removal of dead surface skin cells leaves the skin clearer and prompts production of new skin cells. Also, AHA’s exfoliation action allows better penetration of other reparative products such as the Vitamins A, C and E.

7. Coenzyme Q10 (Ubiquinone)

• A small molecule antioxidant, CoQ10 protects the cell membranes from oxidative damage which in turn helps prevent wrinkling from UV exposure.